Recommended restaurants, Italy

Venice RISTORANTI

• Corte Sconta
  
  This fish focused restaurant is popular with tourists and locals alike. Their servings are generous, and they will gladly split portions in the kitchen. Excellent wine list focusing on offerings from the Veneto and Friuli regions. Outdoor garden seating in nice weather.
  Reservations essential, can reserve by telephone or via e-mail. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Sunday and Monday. High moderate €€€.

• Al Covo
  
  A more upscale version of Corte Sconta, offering fish and meat dishes. It also offers an outstanding cheese course, unusual in Italy, featuring both French and Italian cheeses. Reservations essential; online booking opens two months in advance. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Expensive €€€€.

• Osteria Ai 4 Feri Storti
  
  Tiny seafood restaurant in the San Polo district. Reservations by telephone only; walk-in possible for lunch if you go early. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Sunday and Monday. Moderate €€.

• Gatto Nero
  
  Fantastic seafood restaurant on the island of Burano. Family owned and operated. Excellent wine list. Reservations essential; can reserve by phone or e-mail. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Sunday night and Monday. Expensive €€€€.

VENICE bacari

• Cantine del Vino Già Schiavi
  
  Wine store in Dorsoduro that offers an astonishing array of cicchetti (small plates) and wine by the glass. Open 8:30a – 8:30p. Closed Saturday after 2p and Sunday. No reservations. Stand-up bar service only. Inexpensive €.

• Osteria Banco Giro
  
  Full service restaurant near the Rialto Market that offers cicchetti before lunch or dinner. No reservations for cicchetti. Stand-up bar service, with a few tables outside. Moderate €€.

Rome

• Taverna Volpetti
  
  Small restaurant in Testaccio that offers outstanding salumi (cold cuts), traditional Roman pasta specialties and creative secondi. Excellent wine list, many offerings by the glass. Reservations recommended for dinner, and weekend lunch. Reservations taken by telephone or online. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Sunday dinner and all day Monday. High moderate €€€, but they will gladly split portions.
  
  
• Roma Sparita
  
  Large informal restaurant in Trastevere, right next to the church of Santa Cecilia. Rome classics, especially the tagliolini cacio e pepe, which is served in an edible cheese bowl. Reasonably priced wine list. Reservations essential, even for lunch. can reserve by phone or e-mail. If you don’t have a dinner reservation, there are generally tables available after 9:30 pm. Open for lunch and dinner, hours vary by season. Moderate €€.
  
  
• Renato al Ghetto
  
  Kosher restaurant in the historic Jewish district, right next to the main synagogue. Excellent renditions of traditional Roman Jewish dishes, including fried artichokes and fried baccalà.
  Interesting wine list, including kosher wines from Tuscany and Israel. Reservations recommended for dinner, not needed for lunch unless you’re a big group, can reserve via phone or e-mail. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Friday dinner, Saturday lunch, and Jewish holidays. Moderate €€.
  
  
• Cul de Sac
  
  Top quality salumi and small plates near Piazza Navona. Incredible wine selection. Moderate €€.
  
  
• La Buca di Ripetta
  
  Reliable spot near Piazza del Popolo. HIgh moderate €€€.
  
  
• Ristorante di Roberto e Loretta
  
  If you’re near Piazza San Giovanni or Re di Roma, this is a great informal place for traditional Roman food. Moderate €€.
  
  
• Chiaroscuro
  
  Good quality fish restaurant near Piazza San Giovanni. High moderate €€€.

Florence

• L’Osteria di Giovanni
  
  Traditional dishes with a creative flair; meat-focused menu (including bistecca Fiorentina and rabbit), but there’s usually at least one fish dish available. Excellent wine list. Reservations highly recommended. Can reserve by phone or online. Open for dinner only, closed Sunday. High moderate €€€.

• Trattoria 4 Leoni
  
  Traditional Tuscan specialties, well-prepared, in the Oltrarno district. One of the few places in the city that offers main-dish salads (e.g., puntarelle with burrata cheese). Reasonable wine list, many by the glass. Reservations not required, but recommended if you want to sit outside. Can reserve by phone or e-mail. Open every day, noon – midnight. Moderate €€.

• Trattoria del Carmine
  
  Traditional restaurant near the church of Santa Maria del Carmine. Reasonable wine list, including Chianti in half bottles. Reservations not required, but recommended on weekends or holidays. Can reserve via phone or e-mail. Open every day, lunch and dinner. Moderate €€.

• Trattoria La Casalinga
  
  Home-style cooking in a small restaurant near Piazza Santo Spirito. Bistecca Fiorentina a real value at 45 euro a kilo (the standard size one-kilo steak typically will serve 2.) Reservations not required, but generally recommended for dinner. Can reserve via phone or e-mail. Open lunch and dinner, closed Sunday. Moderate €€.

MontefalcO (UMBRIA)

• Il Coccorone
  
  Traditional specialties with a creative flair, including pasta made with local Sagrantino wine and an excellent rendition of bistecca Fiorentina. Excellent wine list offering many wines of the Montefalco region. For dessert, they offer Passito di Sagrantino, an unusual sweet red wine, served with biscotti. Reservations not required, but they do take e-mail. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Wednesday. High moderate €€€.

Spello (UMBRIA)

• Enoteca Properzio
  
  Wine store with associated restaurant serving simple meals; excellent wine selection, many by the glass. Their wind shop will ship wine all over the world, but it will cost you. Generally don’t need a reservation; outdoor seating in nice weather. Open for lunch and dinner. Moderate €€.

TRANI (PUGLIA)

• Osteria ai Platani
  
  Fish restaurant focusing on spectacular local specialties. Nice wine list featuring local wines. Outdoor seating in nice weather. Reservations not necessary for lunch, but recommended for dinner on weekend or holidays. Can reserve via phone or e-mail. Open for lunch and dinner. Closed Sunday dinner and all day Monday. Moderate €€.

• Corteinfiore
  
  Upscale fish restaurant featuring outstanding local seafood, including whole fish. Excellent wine list. Outside seating in nice weather in interior courtyard. Reservations recommended for dinner; can reserve via phone or e-mail. Open for lunch and dinner; closed Sunday dinner and all day Monday. Expensive €€€€.

A14 near Faenza (EMILIA)

• La Madia.
  
  Small place about 8 km from A14 near Faenza. Wonderful pasta. Good way to break up a trip. Moderate €€.

Ascoli Piceno (MARCHE)

• Piccolo Teatro
  
  Local cuisine with flair. Five different offerings of aged beef. Creative antipasti and desserts. Wide selection of local wines.Moderate €€.
  
  
• Locanda Imperfetta
  
  Refined cuisine with local, Romagnolo, and Emilian specialties. Moderate €€

San Benedetto del Tronto (MARCHE)

• Posto Nuovo
  
  In Porto d’Ascoli. Creative presentations. Formal service. Mostly seafood. The basic tasting menu (7 small plates) is often enough for a meal, but you can add a pasta or secondo if you want. Small but reasonably priced wine list. High moderate €€€.
  
  
• Il Grecale
  
  Simple beachside restaurant with top quality seafood in Grottamare. The raw platter and the mixed cold and hot appetizers (6 small plates) are both very good. Splurge on a grilled San Pietro. You won’t be sorry. Moderate €€.

Mantova (LOMBARDIA)

• Osteria dell’Oca
  
  Informal, even rustic, place outside the main city center. Traditonal fare of the region. Moderate €€.
  
  
• Il Cigno
  
  Old-school formality but excellent, careful preparations of Lombard specialties. Expensive €€€€.
  
  
• Sucar Brusc
  
  Creative modern interpretations of Mantovan dishes, in dialect! High moderate €€€.
  
  

Piemonte

• Rabaya
  
  Near the town of Barbaresco, overlooking some of the best vineyards of the area, this restaurant has served up quality local food accompanied by an impressive cellar for a long time. The younger generation has recently taken over and added some very nice B&B style rooms. High moderate €€€.
  
  
• Osteria tasTè
  
  Occupying an old school house near the hamlet of Tre Stelle (Barbaresco), this group of enthusiastic young people turn out traditional fare with a few new twists. And with an excellent wine list as would be expected. High moderate €€€.